1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a tube or bottle to pack fluid or pasty products, such as mayonnaise or the like. The tube is fabricated preferably in plastic with a monoblock body having an upper T-shaped recessed portion for accommodating a spring mechanism in a cap removably fastened to the body for reception within the recessed portion.
2. Description of Related Art
U.S. Pat. No. 4,022,352 discloses a container cover and safety closure having a cap member integrally with or mounted on the container. The closure has a centralized hole and a closure member hingedly movable between an open position spaced away from the aperture and a closed position which covers the aperture. The closure has a central portion which is recessed from the rest of the closure and the closure member is shaped to fit within the recessed area.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,358,032 discloses a snap container closure. The closure comprises a base portion having an aperture and a top portion, the closure being fixed to a bottle. The top portion includes a hinge divided into two portions. A first portion is held in an overlying relationship spaced from the aperture while a second portion is movable between an open and a closed position by bending about a hinge. The first portion includes nipples which pressingly fit in recesses of the base portion to retain the first portion in position.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,793,502 discloses a container having a hinged dispensing cap for closing an off-center aperture. The hinge provides a snap action for opening and closing the cap.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,815,616 discloses an angled dispensing closure having a snap cover which covers an orifice and is biased about hinges by a biasing element.
U.S. Patent RE 30,861 discloses biased hinges for closure caps.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,598,839 discloses a tamper evident squeeze tube which comprises an elongated tube having flexible walls which are sealed at one end. An end cap is provided at the other end and includes a frangible sealing member across an opening therein. The sealing member is a flexible dome member which is frangibly and integrally connected to the end cap. The dome member may be grasped and broken to access the contents of the tube.
The disclosures of all of the above-identified patents are herein incorporated by reference. While these known closures are adequate for most purposes, they fail to provide an easily manufactured monoblock or integral tube and closure assembly. They also fail to provide a closure assembly having different levels of relief to facilitate both fastening of the closure member to the container and opening of the closure member. The known closures also fail to provide a snap action hinge mechanism which is received in a low relief area to cover the hinge with the cap when the cap is closed on the container.